The present invention relates to skin tanning compositions, and more specifically, compositions which induce tanning of the skin without the skin having been subjected to ultraviolet radiation.
The look of a "healthy" tan is highly desirable amongst certain segments of the world's population and is therefore a commercially important consideration. Developing and maintaining a natural tan is a time consuming process with potentially harmful short and long term side effects. These side effects range from mild sunburn to premature skin aging and, most seriously, to various forms of skin cancer.
Because of these dangers inherent in long term exposure to the sun, and the time and effort involved in acquiring such a tan, considerable research has been conducted for methods which would produce a 'sunless" tan. While several options are currently available, none are completely satisfactory. Tanning salons produce essentially the same skin damage as exposure to the sun because they employ ultraviolet light in much the same manner as solar radiation. Commercially available tanning compositions merely color the skin, are often difficult to apply, and the result obtained varies considerably depending upon the user's skin color prior to application.
In view of these and other problems, the search has continued for compositions which induce tanning of the skin without a need for exposure to ultraviolet radiation.